Genesis 18

The Three Visitors

18The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.H3068H7200H436H4471H3427H168H6607H2527H31172Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.H5375H5869H7200H7969H582H5324H7200H7323H7125H168H6607H7812H7763He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.H559H136H4672H2580H5869H5674H56504Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree.H4592H4325H4994H3947H7364H7272H8172H60865Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."H3947H6595H3899H5582H3820H310H5674H5674H5921H5650H1696H6213H5596So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."H85H4116H168H8283H559H4116H7969H5429H5560H7058H3888H6213H5692H62137Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it.H85H7323H1241H3947H1121H1241H7390H2896H5414H5288H4116H62138He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.H3947H2529H2461H1121H1241H6213H5414H6440H5975H6086H3989"Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said.H559H346H8283H802H559H16810Then the LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.H559H7725H7725H6256H2416H8283H802H1121H8283H8085H168H6607H31011Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.H85H8283H2205H935H3117H2308H8283H734H80212So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?"H8283H6711H7130H559H310H1086H5730H113H220413Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?'H3068H559H85H4100H8283H6711H559H552H3205H589H220414Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."H6381H1697H6381H3068H4150H7725H6256H2416H8283H112115Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."H8283H3584H559H6711H3372H559H3808H6711

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

16When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.H582H6965H8259H6440H5467H85H1980H797117Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?H3068H559H3680H85H834H621318Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.H85H1419H6099H1471H1471H776H128819For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."H3045H834H6680H1121H1004H310H8104H1870H3068H6213H6666H4941H3068H935H85H169620Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievousH3068H559H2201H5467H6017H7227H2403H3966H351321that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."H3381H7200H6213H3617H6818H935H304522The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.H582H6437H3212H5467H85H5975H5750H6440H306823Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?H85H5066H559H5595H6662H5973H756324What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?H3426H2572H6662H8432H5892H5595H5375H4725H4616H2572H6662H713025Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"H2486H6213H1697H4191H6662H7563H6662H7563H2486H8199H776H6213H494126The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."H3068H559H4672H5467H2572H6662H8432H5892H5375H472527Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,H85H6030H559H2974H1696H136H595H6083H66528what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."H2637H2568H2572H6662H7843H5892H2568H559H4672H705H2568H784329Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."H1696H3254H559H705H4672H559H6213H70530Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."H559H4994H136H2734H1696H7970H4672H559H6213H4672H797031Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."H559H2974H1696H136H6242H4672H559H7843H624232Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."H559H136H2734H1696H389H6471H6235H4672H559H7843H623533When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.H3068H3212H834H3615H1696H85H85H7725H4725